


Report Cards

by thatsoccercoach



Series: Which Door? [53]
Category: Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Wee Bree
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 02:04:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14631807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsoccercoach/pseuds/thatsoccercoach
Summary: Sometimes report cards bring surprises.





	Report Cards

                                                      

“Jamie,” she sighed in frustration. “Bree’s practicing _again._ ”

Last week third quarter report cards had come home from their local elementary school. Bree’s had come with a surprise. While older students received traditional letter grades, on the K-2 student reports the school used a system of checks (meeting standard), plusses (exceeding standard), and minuses (progressing toward standard) to indicate the level of competency of the students.  

When Faith began kindergarten last year she had begun a streak of marvelous report cards that continued to the present day. She was doing wonderfully in 1st grade and loved both her teacher and her classmates. Brianna had begun kindergarten this year and had lived up to every possible expectation. Until now.

Bright, spunky Bree had gotten a minus in reading. But Claire was certain it wasn’t for lack of trying and that baffled her to no end. Now the strong-willed kindergartener kept reigning in her energy after school in order to sit and practice reading on her own in her room.

“How can she have grasped phonics so quickly and yet not be able to read at all?” she puzzled aloud.

“Mayhap ‘tis just that the lass is distracted by the other children? She reads to ye before school if she wakes verra early, does she no? So she can read somewhat.” Jamie pointed out logically. “Is her teacher too strict in her expectations? The lass is only five.” Jamie was just as concerned by the discovery. He shot a concerned glance back toward his wife, hoping she’d have an idea.

Claire huffed. “At first I _did_ think it was the fact that her teacher was too strict, but the reading specialist said the same thing. Bree really doesn’t read. I even asked her teacher if she thought Brianna could see the reading materials but she passed her vision screening with flying colors.”

“I hate to say this to a doctor,” he smiled thinly at Claire who smirked back, making it obvious that she knew he didn’t really mind at all saying what he was about to say. “But, I think an internet search and self-diagnosis may be of some benefit in this.”

Knowing that he was most likely correct, at least for the time being, she felt a sense of relief though nothing was solved yet. She snaked her arms around Jamie’s back and leaned her forehead on his chest. “Thank you for caring for our family. Always.”

“Tis my pleasure and my joy, Sassenach.” his voice vibrated in his chest as he spoke. “Always.”

* * *

“Convergence insufficiency.” Claire slid into bed much later, tucking her freezing cold feet against Jamie’s calves causing him to shudder.

“I, wha? Do ye ever wear socks, woman?” he mumbled, half asleep.

“I said,” Claire began again with slightly less patience, “Convergence insufficiency. For Bree. Your actual ability to see can be just fine, but when your eyes are required to partner and track, they don’t. It gets worse the more strain is placed on them. That’s why Bree can read with me, slowly and with great effort in the morning, but she’s struggling by the time she gets to school. It’s why she seems to do fine with single letters or with blends in phonics or even numbers in math but she can’t string things together.”

“Do ye ken a way to help her?” He was quite possibly even more concerned now. Convergence insufficiency sounded awful.

“I know it _sounds_ terrible,” she said, seeming to read his mind. “It’s just a descriptor of what is _probably_ happening to her eyes. Vision therapy can fix it. I’ll make some calls tomorrow to see if we can find somebody to work with her.” Claire sighed in satisfaction knowing that this problem was one that could be handled, knowing that she could sleep in peace with the confidence that her lively daughter could be helped.

The morning would bring new challenges, but they’d face them head-on. Together.


End file.
